One way a potential presidential
candidate can build support in the years leading up to an election is to
form a leadership PAC. Leadership PACs can generate goodwill by making
contributions to candidate and party committees. A presidential prospect
(or other political leader) can fund travel, build a network of supporters,
and demonstrate fundraising prowess. Note that there are federal
and state leadership PACs. In addition several of the prospects have
chosen to structure their PACs as Section 527 organizations. [Graphic]

Leadership PACs of leading presidential prospects show
varying degrees of activity; some appear largely quiescent, while others
have been raising money, contributing to candidates and communicating with
a broader audience via websites. Significant activity in 2004 through
2006 can signal that a prospect is interested in entering the presidential
race. However, some of these individuals also have re-election committees
which may take precedence.

Notes:GENERALIn the last half of 2005
the leadership PACs made a scattering of contributions to candidate and
party committees, but much of the funds went to payroll, consultants, travel,
rent and so forth.

REPUBLICANS1. Sen. Allen's Good Government
for America Committee again showed limited activity as he placed his major
focus on Friends
of George Allen, the re-election committee. The biggest disbursements
were $11,000.00 consulting fee (fundraising) to Benedetti & Farris
LLC in Richmond, VA and $8,744.17 consulting fee (fundraising) to The Lukens
Company in Arlington, VA. The PAC made $83,500 in contributions to
candidate/party committees. In the first quarter there were seven
contributions totaling $38,500, and in the second quarter 13 contributions
to 12 campaign/party committees totaling $45,000. Of interest --
Iowa: $5,000 to Lamberti for Congress (06/05/06); NH: $1,000 to Dave Wheeler,
District 5 Executive Council candidate from Milford (05/31/06); $30,000
total to the NRSC. For the cycle through June 30, 2006 Friends of
George Allen has raised total net contributions of $11,427,926.88 and had
net operating expenditures of $5,956,031.80, finishing with cash on hand
of $6,617,620.10 with no debts owed to or by.

2. Sen. Brownback's Restore
America PAC reported 27 contributions to candidate/party committees totaling
$49,000. Of interest: Iowa -- $1,000 contributions to the King, Latham
and Lamberti for Congress primary committees; 9 contributions of $1,000
each to Michigan congressional candidates. Ryan T. Carney of Arlington,
VA was a major recepient of professional fees and expense reimbursements
tallying $34,083.31 in professional fees and $21,403.20 in expense
reimbursements. Also of note was the return of contributions of $42,000
to the Haskell Foundation c/o H.E. Llewellyn in Lawrence, KS.

4. Former Mayor Giuliani's
Solutions America PAC was largely quiescent for the first four months of
the year. In May Melissa Davis (fundraising) and John Avlon (communications)
were brought on as consultants. There was one contribution: $5,000
to Lamberti for Congress (Iowa). The PAC paid $19,500.00 to RightClick
Strategies LLC for website design. In June the PAC made contributions
totaling $84,000 to 17 congressional and Senate candidates: $5,000 each
to 16 candidates and $4,000 to Steele for Senate in MD. Charlie Bass'
committee in NH was one of those committees that received $5,000.
The PAC paid $35,825.00 to RightClick Strategies for website design/upgrade.

5. Sen. Hagel's Sandhills
PAC shows little evidence of presidential positioning. The are many
contributions to Nebraska legislative candidates. Aside from contributions
in March to the Iowa Christian Alliance ($1,000) and the Iowa Priorities
Action Committee ($5,000) and in June to the Senate Republican Victory
PAC in NH ($5,000) it has not been active in key early states.

7. In January Sen.
McCain's Straight Talk America made 26 contributions totaling $127,000,
including $5,000 contributions to 23 state parties (Iowa, NH and SC included)
and $3,500 each to the Greenville and Spartanburg county parties in South
Carolina.In February, the
PAC made 6 contributions totaling $25,500, including $3,500 to the Charleston
county party and $3,500 each to the candidates for Attorney General and
Adjuntant General in South Carolina.In March, the PAC
made 10 contributions totaling $49,000. NH contributions of $12,500
went $2,500 each to the Bass and Bradley congressional campaigns, $5,000
to the NH state party, and $5,000 to the Property Protection Alliance of
NH.April was a big month
with a particular focus on local Michigan party committees and Alabama
candidates. In Michigan the PAC distributed contributions to party
committees in most or all of the state's 83 counties and its 15 congressional
districts as well as a few other Republican party committees around the
state; the PAC also made contributions to a number of candidates in Alabama.
It further made 29 contributions to congressional and Senate candidates
totaling $91,400, and $5,000 contributions to 9 state parties. NH
contributions of $12,500 went $2,500 to Sununu, $5,000 to Peter Bragdon,
and $5,000 to Senate Republican Victory PAC.May saw a $30,500
infusion to NH including $2,000 to all 10 Republican county committees
as well as to the Concord, Derry, Manchester and Portsmouth committees,
and $2,500 to the NHFRW. The PAC further made $1,000 contributions
to 13 SC House candidates and $3,500 each to the South Carolina House and
Senate GOP Caucuses; 10 contributions of varying sizes to Alabama Republican
committees; $5,000 to 6 state parties; and contributions to about ten congressional
and Senate candidates.June was another
big month for the PAC. South Carolina received the biggest influx,
a total of approximately $99,750 [figures plus or minus small amounts due
to human error in tallying] including $70,250 in amounts from $250 to $3,500
going to 92 candidates $29,500 going to 48 committees. The PAC distributed
$500 to each of 54 Alabama county Republican committees, $1,000 to one
and $1,250 to one ($29,250 total) and contributions ranging from $500 to
$5,000 to 20 Alabama candidates ($22,500 total). In Iowa the PAC
distributed $1,000 contributions to county Republican committees in the
7 largest counties ($7,000) and $500 or $1,000 contributions to 20 House
candidates ($16,000 total). NH received little attention: $5,000
went to the NH House PAC and $2,000 to the Nashua committee. There
were also a handful of contributions to congressional and Senate candidates.McCain's top political consultant
John Weaver receives $15,000 per month.

8. Total receipts to Gov.
Pataki's 21st Century Freedom PAC for the first 6 months of 2006 (Federal
and Virginia) were $1,791,710 including $1,145,990 (Federal) and $645,720
(Virginia). Disbursements of $1,044,525.61 included $223,194.61 (Federal)
and $821,331 (Virginia). Cash on hand of $1,279,646.34 consisted
of $1,126,167.34 (Federal) and $153,479 (Virginia).

By comparison, for calendar
year 2005 there was more of an emphasis on the Virginia PAC. The
2005 receipts total was very similar to that for the first 6 months of
2006, $1,796,369.68, but most of the contributions came through the Virginia
PAC, $330,997.68 (Federal) and $1,465,372 (Virginia). Total disbursements
of $1,497,343.24 consisted of $135,113.24 (Federal) and $1,362,230 (Virginia).
Cash on hand of $485,770.95 consisted of $203,371.95 (Federal) and $282,399
(Virginia).

In the first 6 months of
2006 the Federal PAC made 11 contributions to candidate/party committees
totaling $32,502.64. Of interest: NH -- Senate Republican Victory
PAC $1,000 (02/28/06); Manchester Republican Committee $1,000 (04/24/06);
House Republican Victory PAC $2,500 (06/15/06). Iowa -- Lamberti
for Congress $3,002.64 (06/15/06). Cathy Blaney and Associates (NY)
received a total of $56,107.66 for fundraising. Nashua, NH-based
Meridian Communications received a total of $21,000. In Iowa, Des
Moines-based Erik Helland received $7,500 for political consulting and
S.E.I. Consulting LLC of Ankeny received $5,000.

9. Gov. Romney's Commonwealth
PAC - The state PACs report at different times for different time periods.
For example, the 2nd quarter of the Iowa PAC is May 15th – July 14th.
The totals above are from the PAC's accounting software pulled as of June
30th. Federal receipts were $1,535,124.45 and disbursements were
$655,461.04. A good article on The Commonwealth PAC's fundraising
is: Scott Helman and Chase Davis. "Romney strategy pays off quickly:
Multistate tactic overcomes limits." Boston
Globe, June 11, 2006.

Leadership PACs often have creative
or patriotic names that help convey message or philosophy."The
Name Game"
Below are names of leadership PACs of some of the individuals mentioned
as major 2008 presidential prospects.Match
the PAC and the individual. (Note: one of the names is made up).

Notes: -Gov. Pataki's PAC initially filed
in 1998 as Freedom PAC and then as Economic Freedom PAC before settling
on 21st Century Freedom PAC. -The Commonwealth PAC includes a federal
PAC, based in Michigan, and four state PACs, in Iowa, South Carolina, Arizona
and Michigan. Trent Wisecup, executive director of The Commonwealth
PAC, took issue with the "leadership PAC" label. He said The Commonwealth
PAC was formed by friends and supporters of Gov. Romney to help support
Republicans. It has been very active in Iowa (Oct.
19, 2004; Jan.
19, 2005).-Sen. Bayh changed the name of his
PAC in Feb. 2005; it was formerly known as Americans for Responsible Leadership. -Fmr Sen. Edwards' PAC is the successor
to New American Optimists, formed Aug. 28, 2001. -Gov. Richardson's Moving America
Forward is now inactive; it was formed in 2002 and stopped operations in
early 2005; it spent about $2.5 million.-Gov. Vilsack's Heartland PAC and
Gov. Huckabee's Healthy America PAC are Section 527 organizations.-Sen. Rick Santorum, who was considered
a presidential prospect until he ruled out a presidential race in July
2005, has a leadership PAC called America's Foundation formed Sept. 1,
1995 and initially known as FIGHT PAC.